Reaper

Lore & Background

When the sun bleeds black and the world plunges into unnatural twilight, the veil between life and death grows thin. From this abyssal shadow emerges the Reaper, a spectral harbinger whose long list of names stretches endlessly across the realms of the living. Unlike lesser phantoms that drift aimlessly, this entity moves with terrifying purpose, its scythe gleaming with a promise of finality. It is said that only after the mechanical gods have fallen does the true count begin, for the Reaper demands a world ripe with conflict before it claims its toll.

Though they share the formless grace of Wraiths, Reapers are far more potent, their speed unmatched and their presence felt from every direction at once. They glide just above the earth, unable to ascend beyond the reach of solid ground, yet their agility allows them to strike with precision before vanishing into the ether. Immune to the burning embrace of lava and resistant to most curses, they are creatures of pure malice, bound only by the laws of the Solar Eclipse. The Bestiary records their chilling intent: their sickle ensures that those on their list will soon depart this world forever.

In Their Own Story

The sky turned a bruised purple as the eclipse swallowed the sun, and the air grew heavy with the scent of ozone and decay. You stood atop your stone platform, eyes scanning the horizon where shadows danced unnaturally fast. Then came them—Reapers, gliding through the air like smoke given form, their scythes humming with a low, deadly vibration. They did not walk; they hovered just inches above the ground, defying gravity yet bound to the earth below.

One lunged from the left, its speed blurring your vision, but you sidestepped, the cold edge of its blade slicing through empty air. Another materialized behind, faster than thought, forcing you into a desperate retreat. The battlefield became a chaotic storm of movement as multiple Reapers converged, their attacks coming from all angles. You raised your weapon, feeling the impact rattle through your bones as they were knocked back, only to recover instantly and strike again. In that moment, suspended between life and death, you understood why they were feared: they did not just kill; they collected.

Reader's Guide

The Reaper appears exclusively during the Solar Eclipse event in Hardmode. On modern platforms (Desktop, Console, Mobile), it requires all three mechanical bosses to be defeated before spawning. It utilizes a Hovering AI similar to Wraiths but moves significantly faster and possesses higher health and damage, with stats scaling across difficulty modes.

Reapers are vulnerable to knockback, making them manageable if you have sufficient pushback strength. However, they cannot ascend high above solid blocks, so building elevated platforms provides a safe vantage point to attack from below. Be aware that this strategy leaves you exposed to other flying threats like Mothrons and Deadly Spheres. Since Reapers pass through blocks, lava is ineffective against them; instead, rely on melee weapons with animations that pierce or strike through terrain.

Farming them yields valuable loot: the Death Sickle (2.5% drop rate) and the Requiem (1.67% drop rate), a rare melee weapon. They also drop coins ranging from 15 to 37 Silver, depending on difficulty. Their banners provide stat buffs when placed nearby.

Did You Know?

• The Reaper does not allude to a specific horror movie but is a direct reference to the Grim Reaper.
• Reapers hold a weapon that strikingly resembles the Death Sickle they drop when defeated.
• They are immune to all debuffs except whip debuffs, and Stunned/Bleeding on older console versions.
• Like Wraiths, Reapers cannot ascend more than a few tiles above solid blocks.